


Sundae

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-09-24
Updated: 2008-09-24
Packaged: 2019-01-19 19:07:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12416169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: There it was: the ever important marachino cherry, jauntily off centre. Lily couldn't possibly waste such a cherry. Even if it came from James Potter.





	Sundae

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

Lily Evans was just finishing off her ice cream cone, watching the people walk by on Diagon Alley, and thinking about the lovely badge she had in her bag. She was going to be Head Girl of Hogwarts, and was very excited about it all. Unfortunately, the actual letter that accompanied the badge had been – er –  removed (Petunia would get hers, one of these days) from the envelope before Lily had come down for breakfast, and so for the past three days she had been owling friends all over the country to find out which books she needed. She finally had the list, and was about to head over to Flourish and Blott’s when a sundae was placed in front of her.

  
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said to the girl who had placed it there,  “ but I didn ’ t order this. You have the wrong table. ”

  
The waitress glanced up to her eyes, then spoke.  " No, this is for you. " She lowered her voice and winked.  " The boy back there, the one with the dark hair. "

  
Glancing over the girl's shoulder, Lily saw James Potter try to look nonchalant.

  
" Oh. " Lily thought for a moment.  " Could I ask you to take it over there and dump it on his head? "

  
" You could, but it goes against our customer policy. "

  
" Do you think I could I take it over there and dump it on his head? "

  
" Do you really want to? This is a very nice sundae. "

  
Lily looked down at the table, frowned, and the waitress walked briskly away. It was a nice sundae. Mint chocolate chip, Lily ' s favourite kind of ice cream, with strawberries on top, then blanketed in whipped cream. And a cherry. The ever important maraschino cherry was jauntily on top, just off centre. It looked good, and it was very hot out, and if she didn ' t eat it soon it might melt. But it was from him. The enemy. The fly that buzzed around her ear, the eyelash in her eye, the little spot just to the left of her knee that she missed while shaving. But whipped cream and mint chocolate chip ...

  
What the hell. She ate a spoonful of whipped cream. Mmm . Whipped cream. The she ate a spoonful of ice cream. Mmm . Ice cream. Then, ever so delicately, she picked up the cherry. If she ate the cherry, that would be like an invitation for him to leave his own aren't-I-casual attitude and join her at her table.

  
But Lily Evans was not one to waste a cherry.

  
And she was not one to be wrong about James Potter. Not ten seconds after she swallowed the cherry, he was sitting beside her.

  
"Hi Lily. Have a good summer?"  
  
"Yes."  


  
" Excited about seventh year? "

  
" Yes. "

  
" Want to go out with me? "

  
" No. "

  
" You're sure? "

  
" Yes. "

  
" Can you answer in more than one syllable? "

" Probably. "

" Three! I ' m impressed. "

  
" As you should be. "

  
" Separate words! Wow, I must be making progress. "

  
Lily rolled her eyes and stood.  " Thank you for the ice cream. "

  
" You ' re welcome. Now, we must discuss how you plan to repay me. "

  
" Repay you? "

  
" You didn ' t think I ' d send over a great sundae like that and not expect repayment, did you? "

  
Lily frowned.  " Yes, actually, I did. "

  
He grinned.  " You thought I was a nice enough guy to just give you ice cream without expecting anything in return? I mean, there was a cherry, Lily. You thought I'm the sort of chap to go about handing whipped cream and cherries to pretty young girls, haphasard-like?"

  
" Yes, actually, I thought you were. But so you know, I ' m not giving you anything. I did not ask for ice cream, and so I will not pay for your extravagances. So you might as well give up right now. "

  
" You don ' t repay your debts? " He grinned at her. Lily noted that his smile was slightly too big for his face.   


  
" I do, but normally people tell you that they expect something in return before they buy things for you. "

  
" And you thought I was a decent enough person to actually warn you? "

  
" Yes, Potter, I thought you were a decent person. I thought that maybe it was a gift. A bribe of some sort. But I did not expect to have to repay you. I see that I was wrong. " Lily balled up her fists under the table. He was infuriating! Imagine expecting her to repay him for something he had forced upon her .

  
He grinned and stood.  " No, you were right, I am a decent person. See you on the train, and congratulations on making Head Girl. I just wanted to say that. "

  
She frowned as he walked away. That was strange. But how did he know?  " Potter? " she called.  " How did you know that - "

  
He turned, still grinning, and held up a silver badge for her to see. Head Boy.

It appeared that Lily would be seeing a lot more of this "decent person." And, as she poked at her barely-started sundae, she realised that she wasn ' t half as disappointed as she should be.


End file.
